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When Spain hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014, the country, 41 ten men who had played in the NBA, had the best lineup (阵容) in its basketball history. However, Spain 42 (defeat) by France in the quarterfinal.
Five years 43 (late) with some aging stan and just six players with NBA experience, Spain had nothing close to the expectations of 2014. Maybe that helped. The Spanish team won the gold medal.
This success, as Bleacher Reporter put 44 , would serve to inspire yet another generation of hardwood hopefuls in a country that already ranks among the most sports-crazed in all of Europe, 45 , in turn, help Spain to challenge US Supremacy (权威) in basketball.”
The US is always among the 46 (favour) in international basketball events, thanks to the high level of 47 (compete) in its professional league. 48 the US side lost the 2019 World Cup quarterfinal to France, 49 (mark) the country's first international basketball match without a gold medal since 2006.
This is a blow to the US. Many blamed the lack of star players for the loss. But this may be a sign 50 the basketball universe is changing. If there's one lesson to be learned from the US's failure, it's that the other countries had invested more this time.